How to Find the Density of Ethanol
The density of ethanol is defined by its mass per unit volume and can be found on many charts and tables in a variety of chemistry or fluid dynamics books. Those values, however, are either averages or they are given at one specific temperature. Changes in temperature or pressure will change the volume, which in turn will change the density, since the mass remains constant. There is a simple procedure you can use to find the exact density of ethanol.
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Instructions
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Place the empty graduated cylinder on the scale and then tare the scale. When you press the "tare" button on the scale, it will cancel out the mass of the graduated cylinder so that only the mass of its contents will be displayed later.
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Pour a sample of ethanol into the graduated cylinder. Read and record the volume. The top surface of the ethanol will create a concave meniscus, or downward curvature, so you need to take the reading at eye level and read the level at the bottom of the meniscus.
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Place the graduated cylinder with the ethanol on the tared scale. Read and record the mass.
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Divide the volume read from the graduated cylinder by the mass obtained from the scale. That is the density for your sample of ethanol.
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Tips & Warnings
To make the math easier, control the volume of the sample so the denominator of the equation is an easy number to work with, like 100 mL as opposed to 126 mL. Density is generally reported in g/cm^3, which is the same as g/mL. Depending on your scale and graduated cylinder, you may have to do some unit conversion before your value can be compared with values from other sources.
